dagblog - Comments for "Rush for the Exits in Afghanistan"

I got that in the "Let's not

acanuck — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:54:50 +0000

In reply to not to speak for DoubleP, I

I got that in the "Let's not be ungrateful ..." remark, but the rest of the comment is puzzling in tone. Maybe just an overlong setup to the punch line. But still wrong.

not to speak for DoubleP, I

jollyroger — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:45:04 +0000

In reply to I don't get why you're

not to speak for DoubleP, I think he was intending some irony

putting new spin on noam

jollyroger — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:43:05 +0000

In reply to Even with the great

putting new spin on noam chomsky's statement that nixon was the last liberal president...

I don't get why you're

acanuck — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 18:57:56 +0000

In reply to Math, please, some math. 500

I don't get why you're downplaying this, Peracles. Five hundred people a day is the number lining up for passports now. The smart people, the ones with money and connections, have had a decade to get their papers in order and plan (if not carry out) their exits.

And nearly one-third of the official GDP being siphoned out of the economy is a very big deal. The bulk of the drug profits are made abroad, and never return to Afghan soil. They go into Swiss banks and stay there, awaiting reunion with their owners. The $5.3 billion a month is what the Pentagon spends, not what it puts into Afghan pockets, which is a pittance. What does come in as direct aid vanishes in a mist of government corruption and (we can agree) constitutes at least some of what gets sent out of the country.

Point is, it's all a waste of lives and treasure. We've built a really expensive sand castle in really windswept terrain. It can't last, and offers nothing to the average Afghan. Let it go.

Math, please, some math. 500

PeraclesPlease — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:59:40 +0000

In reply to Rush for the Exits in Afghanistan

Math, please, some math.

500 people a day would be 180,000 in year.

From a country of 36 million, that's 0.5% of the population.

Hardly a "rush".

Regarding "legitimate" economy, most of the money's in illegitimate, including poppy trade and selling protection to US & other foreign troops, as well as simple siphoning off of US aid to Afghanistan.

Of course that money's going to Switzerland and elsewhere.

Monthly spending for the war in Afghanistan has *dipped down* to $5.3 billion a month. So only having 1/15th of that disappear out through the airport? Let's not be ungrateful for their accommodating our world leader illusions.

New Details Show Panetta Was

artappraiser — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 07:43:44 +0000

In reply to Strange stuff coming out: an

New Details Show Panetta Was at Risk in Attack
By Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times, March 16/17, 2012

[....] The latest account of what apparently was a suicide attack shows there was a greater security risk to Mr. Panetta than defense officials originally admitted. American military officials had at first played down the episode, which occurred on Wednesday at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, and they did not immediately disclose important details [....]

The officials, who spoke to reporters on Mr. Panetta’s plane en route from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to Washington, asked for anonymity to discuss security matters [....]

Strange stuff coming out: an

artappraiser — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:35:18 +0000

In reply to Was the guy one of ours or

Strange stuff coming out: an Afghan civilian, who worked on the base, in a stolen NATO pickup truck (he carjacked it from a soldier,) and it was him that was on fire and not the truck:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/leon-panetta-arriv...

Ok, I got the joke, but

artappraiser — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:49:43 +0000

In reply to Was the guy one of ours or

Ok, I got the joke, but moving on further, now you got me thinking of Major Nidal Malik Hasan, how he was one of the people who was supposed to be figuring out who was mentally fit for duty.....

Was the guy one of ours or

NCD — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:56:36 +0000

In reply to @ Guardian.co.uk,

Was the guy one of ours or one of theirs?

@ Guardian.co.uk,

artappraiser — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:49:38 +0000